How to support state-civil society dialogue?

Today at the annual conference of European foundations in Rome, the Open Estonia Foundation (OEF) organizes a session on the models of civil society development in different countries. The seminar will examine the steps taken in Estonia, the UK and Croatia.

According to OEF’s Executive Director Mall Hellam, the Open Estonia Foundation as a long-time member of the European Foundation Centre wishes to raise the issue of how the private sector can support large-scale initiatives promoting social cohesion and contribute to the dialogue between states and civil society. “The importance of compacts, such as the Estonian Civil Society Development Concept (EKAK) is not only symbolic. Although its implementation has lately not been as active as hoped, the concept has provided a good basis for cooperation between NGOs and the government,” Hellam explained.

Urmo Kübar, the Director of the Estonian network of NGOs, added that since foreign funders played a significant role in initiating EKAK, the session will also discuss how financers can strengthen the civil society as whole by contributing to the state-civil society strategic cooperation: “The private sector is used to supporting short-term projects but it is a much bigger challenge to support a favorable environment for citizen activity and a participatory political culture.”

The European Foundation Centre (EFC) is an international association of foundations dedicated to creating an enabling legal and fiscal environment for foundations, strengthening the infrastructure of the sector, and promoting cross-border collaboration. On its annual assembly on May 16, Mall Hellam as OEF’s representative will be nominated member of EFC’s Governing Council.
The main topic of EFC’s 20th annual conference is the role of foundations in eradicating inequalities and will host 600 participants from more than 60 countries.

Additional information:

Mall Hellam
Executive Director
Open Estonia Foundation
E-mail: mall@oef.org.ee  

Open Estonia Foundation: www.oef.org.ee  
European Foundation Centre: www.efc.be